Monday, December 16, 2013

Do you think people put too much, too little, or just enough energy into the way they depict their lives through photos on social media? Why?

Almost a little too much, in my opinion. I feel as though they make it out to be more glamorous than it really is. Sure some people are posting fabulous pictures of the Eiffel Tower in France, or pictures of Frankfurt, Germany, butt he filters make them out to be so much more than that. Like something out of the movies that you see and you think 'I want my life to be like that'. But, just as Ms. Fink said "The overall intent, she said, is not to inspire envy, but simply, to inspire. “If I knew any of the posts made someone feel bad, I’d remind them that the world is their oyster, too, and they need to start shucking."

Do you ever look forward to events because you know that you will post photos afterward?

No, not particularly. I look forward to events because I think they might be fun, or worth my while. Sure, I might post some photos afterwards but that wasn't the point of the evening to me.

Is there any thing wrong with that?

I don't think so. If that's what a person chooses to do, then fine by me.

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

I think that scientists should try to help people beat old age so that we can live radically longer live. It would give elderly people more time on earth to be with their loved ones and spend time with others. But like it said in the article, " I have often been struck, at funerals of the elderly, of the common phrase that while the deceased will be missed, he or she led a “full life.” Adding years to a life doesn’t necessarily make it any fuller.", it won't exactly make your life any fuller than it already was, if any at all. There are drawbacks to having the elderly live longer, basic drawbacks, such as money issues, food issues, housing issues, health care issues, and many more like those.

If I could choose my own life span, it would be tricky. It's such a hard decision. If you live longer than any of your peers or loved ones, you have to watch them all die around you, but at the same time you get to live longer and be able to see more development in the world, like technology. If the technology advances in our time and allows everyone to have about the same life span, but already longer than it is currently, I'd wish to, at least, go to one hundred.

Thursday, November 14, 2013

http://www.pressherald.com/news/State_ordered_to_release_911_transcripts_in_Biddeford_murder_case_.html
I found this one to be most interesting mostly because I'm all about learning about murders niece murderers and what goes through the victims/ killers heads. Also it was probably one of the most interesting on the Portland Press Herald, next to a minivan crashing into a Dunkin Donuts.

Friday, November 8, 2013

I think that pranking crosses the line to bullying if the prank is meant to diminish the person in one way or another, to make them feel stupid or worthless. In the article they say "For years, young players in the N.F.L. have been subjected to a wide swath of indignities straight from the hallways of high school or the back rooms of fraternity houses…regularly bring sandwiches or fast food to teammates." it's not even pranks at that point, it's just childish games.
The intent of the prank is also important, whether the victim of the prank is hurt or not. You never know if someone's going to be listening in, or watching what you're doing, and maybe they could be hurt or offended by it. The reaction is key to the whole thing, it's the whole point of a prank. Sometimes pranks can be hurtful, and the person (victim) might express that.
I think that the NFL shout treat the harassment a little more harshly, because I think that it's just ridiculous at this point that grown men are bullying each other and playing childish pranks on their own teammates. Having people leave the team because of bullying is only hurting the team as a whole.

Thursday, October 31, 2013

I'm not entirely sure how to feel about the facts raised in this article, but what I do feel is that schools should not be able to monitor the kids internet use outside of school, it's a violation of our privacy. In the article, they argue that it is just for our safety, quoting a 16-year-old boy who claimed he would shout a list of people in his school on MySpace and ended up spending a month in jail. But most things that are posted outside of school have nothing to do with the school itself. Like the incident with the girls and the lollipops on Facebook being suspended, and the courts cleared it up being a violation of the constitution, was completely unreasonable and violated those kids privacies and really was no need of it. I think, only if they start to take action on what is said, is when repercussions should take place.

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

A lot of times, classes do not encourage you to do creative things, to just go with the flow. It all really depends on the classes you're taking. If what you're taking is just core classes (I.e. History, math, science, etc.), there won't be much creativity to work with, and creativity, I think, is very vital to learning. Like Cecilia Conrad said in her piece: "Creativity flourishes at the intersections of traditional disciplines, but traditional means of assessment often marginalize individuals working to define new and unique fields of endeavor". Creativity allows for those new ideas that our society thrives on to be made. In my own opinion, Freeport high school gives us plenty of chances to be creative. With writing assignment and the various different art classes they have to offer, such as drama, studio art, creative writing, and ceramics. Most of the high schools that I've either been to or have heard of don't provide such opportunities, so the same can't be said for every school. But I do feel, though, as we get older, the creative flow becomes more and more stunted with the goal to become better at standardized tests and homework.

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

What makes a good interview is having an interesting person to meet with. If you just have someone who you sit next to on the bus, you won't get much of an interesting interview. You want to interview someone's who's gotten out there, who done something spectacular with their life and not just some desk job. Open ended questions also help. You want to get as much information as you possibly can, because you may not even use half of it. You could ask them: "what compelled you to go into this field?", "how did you feel when you did...", "what do you like about...". If a person doesn't give you much of an answer, try asking some follow up questions about the topic to try and get more in depth with them. It's best to ask as many questions as you can!

Friday, September 13, 2013

When I think of journalism, the first thing to comes to mind is newspapers. New York Times, The Portland Press Harold, and Washington Post are some of the names that I think of. I think that's the most common form of journalism familiar to everyone. There's a wide range of journalism, differing anywhere from good to bad, it all depends on the author. I don't normally give too much consideration to journalism in my life, but every now and then something will catch my eye or someone will recommend something to me that they think I might interest or fascinate me. Seeing as though I'm middle ground on journalism, I'm not too curious about it. But what I am disquisitive of learning a new writing style. Not just abide by one or two forms of writing I already know, but to expand my horizons and expiriment. There's always oppurtunity for more knowledge, the way I see it. I never know, I just might take a liking to it.